Chapter XIII: Book VIII

_The Phæacian games and banquet in honour of Ulysses_.

When morning came Alcinous called an assembly of the
Phæacian, and Minerva went about urging every one to
come and see the wonderful stranger. She also gave
Ulysses a more imposing presence that he might impress
the people favourably. When the Phæacians were assembled
Alcinous said:--

"I do not know who this stranger is, nor where he comes 28
from; but he wants us to send him to his own home, and no
guest of mine was ever yet able to complain that I did
not send him home quickly enough. Let us therefore fit
out a new ship with a crew of fifty-two men, and send
him. The crew shall come to my house and I will find them
in food which they can cook for themselves. The aldermen
and councillors shall be feasted inside the house. I can
take no denial, and we will have Demodocus to sing to us."

The ship and crew were immediately found, and the sailors 46
with all the male part of the population swarmed to the
house of Alcinous till the yards and barns and buildings
were crowded. The king provided them with twelve sheep,
eight pigs and two bullocks, which they killed and cooked.

The leading men of the town went inside the inner 62
courtyard; Pontonous, the _major domo_, conducted the
blind bard Demodocus to a seat which he set near one
of the bearing-posts that supported the roof of the
cloisters, hung his lyre on a peg over his head, and
shewed him how to feel for it with his hands. He also set
a table close by him with refreshments on it, to which he
could help himself whenever he liked.

As soon as the guests had done eating Demodocus began 72
to sing the quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles before
Troy, a lay which at the time was famous. This so
affected Ulysses that he kept on weeping as long as the
bard sang, and though he was able to conceal his tears
from the company generally, Alcinous perceived his
distress, and proposed that they should all now adjourn
to the athletic sports--which were to consist mainly of
boxing, wrestling, jumping, and foot racing.

Demodocus, therefore, hung the lyre on its peg and 105
was led out to the place where the sports were to be
held. The whole town flocked to see them. Clytoneüs won
the foot race, Euryalus took the prize for wrestling,
Amphialus was the best jumper, and Alcinous' son Laodamas
the best boxer.

Laodamas and Euryalus then proposed that Ulysses should 131
enter himself for one of the prizes. Ulysses replied
that he was a stranger and a suppliant; moreover, he had
lately gone through great hardships, and would rather be
excused.

Euryalus on this insulted Ulysses, and said that he 138
supposed he was some grasping merchant who thought of
nothing but his freights. "You have none of the look,"
said he, "of an athlete about you."

Ulysses was furious, and told Euryalus that he was a 164
goodlooking young fool. He then took up a disc far
heavier than those which the Phæacians were in the habit
of throwing.[15] The disc made a hurtling sound as it
passed through the air, and easily surpassed any throw
that had been made yet. Thus encouraged he made another
long and very angry speech, in which he said he would
compete with any Phæacian in any contest they chose to
name, except in running, for he was still so much pulled
down that he thought they might beat him here. "Also,"
he said, "I will not compete in anything with Laodamas.
He is my host's son, and it is a most unwise thing for a
guest to challenge any member of his host's family. A man
must be an idiot to think of such a thing."

"Sir," said Alcinous, "I understand that you are 236
displeased at some remarks that have fallen from one of
our athletes, who has thrown doubt upon your prowess in
a way that no gentleman would do. I hear that you have
also given us a general challenge. I should explain that
we are not famous for our skill in boxing or wrestling,
but are singularly fleet runners and bold mariners.
We are also much given to song and dance, and we like
warm baths and frequent changes of linen. So now come
forward some of you who are the nimblest dancers, and
show the stranger how much we surpass other nations in
all graceful accomplishments. Let some one also bring
Demodocus's lyre from my house where he has left it."

The lyre was immediately brought, the dancers began to 256
dance, and Ulysses admired the merry twinkling of their
feet.

While they were dancing Demodocus sang the intrigue 266
between Mars and Venus in the house of Vulcan, and told
how Vulcan took the pair prisoners. All the gods came to
see them; but the goddesses were modest and would not 324
come.

Alcinous then made Halius and Laodamas have a game at 370
ball, after which Ulysses expressed the utmost admiration
of their skill. Charmed with the compliment Ulysses had
paid his sons, the king said that the twelve aldermen
(with himself, which would make thirteen) must at once
give Ulysses a shirt and cloak and a talent of gold, so
that he might eat his supper with a light heart. As for
Euryalus, he must not only make a present, but apologise
as well, for he had been rude.

Euryalus admitted his fault, and gave Ulysses his sword 398
with its scabbard, which was of new ivory. He said
Ulysses would find it worth a great deal of money to him.

Ulysses thanked him, wished him all manner of good 412
fortune, and said he hoped Euryalus would not feel the
want of the sword which he had just given him along with
his apology.

Night was now falling, they therefore adjourned to the 417
house of Alcinous. Here the presents began to arrive,
whereon the king desired Arete to find Ulysses a chest in
which to stow them, and to put a shirt and clean cloak
in it as his own contribution; he also declared his
intention of giving him a gold cup.[16] Meanwhile, he
said that Ulysses had better have a warm bath.

The bath was made ready. Arete packed all the gold and 423
presents which the Phæacian aldermen had sent, as also
the shirt and tunic from Alcinous. Arete told Ulysses to
see to the fastening, lest some one should rob him while
he was asleep on the ship; Ulysses therefore fastened the 445
lid on to the chest with a knot which Circe had taught
him. He then went into the bath room--very gladly, for he
had not had a bath since he left Calypso, who as long as
he was with her had taken as good care of him as though
he had been a god.

As he came from the bath room Nausicaa was standing by 457
one of the bearing-posts that supported the roof of
the cloisters and bade him farewell, reminding him at
the same time that it was she who had been the saving
of him--a fact which Ulysses in a few words gracefully
acknowledged.

He then took his seat at table, and after dinner, at his 469
request, Demodocus sang the Sack of Troy and the Sally of
the Achæans from the Wooden Horse. This again so affected
him that he could not restrain his tears, which, however,
Alcinous again alone perceived.

The king, therefore, made a speech in which he said 536
that the stranger ought to tell them his name. He must
have one, for people always gave their children names
as soon as they were born. He need not be uneasy about
his escort. All he had to do was to say where he wanted
to go, and the Phæacian ships were so clever that they
would take him there of their own accord. Nevertheless he
remembered hearing his father Nausithous say, that one
day Neptune would be angry with the Phæacians for giving
people escorts so readily, and had said he would wreck
one of their ships as it was returning, and would also
bury their city under a high mountain.